Sour Cherry
by Elephant45ed
Summary: A three-shot, focusing on different time periods during the bittersweet roller coaster that is the unpredictable and loveable Zane and Rikki relationship – but will that relationship always be romantic - Or will it simmer down to a platonic friendship?


**OMG. Maddie wrote a story without Elliot?!**

**GASP! SHOCK! HORROR!**

**Liek **_**whoa**_**.**

**Anyway, I find it really difficult to write stories about cannon pairings (such as the always adorable Zane and Rikki) but I've been working terribly hard on this and hope you enjoy! **

**Just a small warning to younger readers – there is a little bit of language. **

**& another note - the quote in the summary was from a Lily/Lewis scene in Fangs & Fins which I co-wrote so I can use it again. Without looking like a dingbat. **

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**Song Choice: Brighter Than Sunshine by Aqualung**

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**Disclaimer: I don't own H2O. I plan to steal Elliot one day but I'm still working out all the details. For now he belongs to Jonathan M. S. **

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**Chapter 1: ****Beginnings**

There was a new girl at school.

If Nate hadn't casually pointed her out to Zane while they ate lunch, he probably wouldn't have even noticed her slender figure maneuvering quickly throughout the crowd of students trying to find a place to sit on the grass and eat their lunches.

He tried to get a good look at her – curly blonde hair set into two neat braids that rested lightly on her shoulders. Her eyes were a bright blue and her delicate lips were pink. She was dressed down in black sneakers, a red top, and dark colored shorts. There wasn't anything heart stopping about her – she was simple, ordinary. But at the same time there seemed to be something that separated her from everyone else.

"What's her name?" Zane asked Nate. He felt a small smile gracing his lips.

Nate shrugged, shaking his head slightly. "Don't know,"

Miriam slid her long, blonde hair over her shoulder and adjusted her new pink top. "Who cares? She's a loser. Now come on."

She stood up from her seat next to Zane and smoothed her skirt out before striding towards her next class.

Nate dumped his things into his bag and Zane collected his books from where he had dropped them on the ground. He took one last look at the new girl before returning to Nate.

Zane snorted cruelly after a few breif moments of looking at the girl. "Miriam is right, she does look like a los –"

A red blur smashed into Zane's side and his books tumbled out of his hands. Their pages flapped open all over the grass.

"Watch it!" He and the blur screamed in unison. Zane glanced up to see who the blur could possibly be. _No one_ crashed into Zane Bennett and got away with it. It was just unacceptable.

It was the new girl, the one with the black sneakers and the two curly braids.

The girl looked up to face him. Her blue eyes were constricted with anger.

_What a loser_, Zane thought, remembering what Miriam had stated. _Can't even see where she's going. She's freaking blind or something!_

The girl rolled her blue eyes impatiently. "Aren't you going to apologize or are you just going to stand there like a dumbass?"

Zane looked shocked and irritated. "You're the one who crashed into me."

"No. You crashed into me while I was reading over my schedule." She shoved a piece of paper into his face.

Zane growled. "You crashed into me. If anyone's the dumbass, it's you."

The girl's nostrils flared. "Whatever," She stormed away, her sneakers smacking against the grass with great force.

"Wait," Zane called after her. "What's your name?"

The girl spun around, her braids flying.

"Rikki," She muttered before heading towards her next class.

_Rikki._

He repeated the name several times to himself. His stomach tingled slightly.

Something new was beginning. Something strange. Forgien. Alien. Something new and exciting and unpredictable. Something new found, like a deep carven or a never-before explored kingdom. Something sweet, like relaxing on a hot summer's day or like starring up at the sky and looking at the stars while a cool, nighttime breeze incircled you.

Whatever that something was, he didn't like. He didn't like it at all.

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He should be angry with her. Irritated, annoyed, upset, discouraged, fuming, mad, pissed off…anything. She had stolen his damn boat for crying out loud!

But he couldn't bring himself to be upset. Sure, she's sprayed him with water when she'd turned the zodiac at a sharp angle. Nate had laughed hysterically till Zane had glared at him.

She looked happy driving the zodiac. That tingling sensation filled the pit of his stomach and he cursed himself for being such an ass. He should hate her. He shouldn't feel some deep desire jumping around in his stomach.

But she looked happy. That was all that mattered.

--

She was happy. She loved the rushing wind blowing through her hair. She loved the fact that she'd stolen the dumbass's boat. She loved how she'd saved the timid-looking girl sitting beside her. She'd felt heroic. Adventurous._ Fearless._

She glanced up from the steering device and looked at Zane. He was standing on the dock next to Nate who was pointing at him and laughing. Zane was drenched. He didn't look upset – just confused, like he was contemplating something.

Rikki smiled a bit. Zane didn't look mad. There was something wrong – if he wasn't aggravated then what was he? What was swirling about in that thick narcissi head of his?

They were at the beginning.


End file.
